Protective packaging system consumable resupply system

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is related to methods and machines for creating packaging materials and reordering supply materials. As one example, a machine of the present disclosure includes a supply material input for receiving raw supplies, one or more machine components configured to convert the raw supplies into completed packaging materials, a material output for outputting completed packaging materials created using the raw supplies, and a processing element configured to receive data corresponding to the one or more machine components. The processing element determines using at least one of an initial raw supply level, a completed packaging materials level, one or more current packaging material orders, and/or historical operating parameters of the one or more machine components to determine if additional raw supplies are required.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional patentapplication No. 62/018,267 entitled “Computerized Controller forPackaging Materials”, the entirety of which is incorporated herein byreference. The present application is related to U.S. application Ser.No. 14/749,866, entitled “Protective Packaging Device Queue Control,”U.S. application Ser. No. 14/749,911, entitled “Integrated ProtectivePackaging Control,” U.S. application Ser. No. 14/750,736, entitled“Self-Contained Computational Device for Protective Packaging Systems,”and U.S. application Ser. No. 14/750,813, entitled “Protective PackagingMachines Demonstrative Content”, all of which are hereby incorporated byreference herein in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to packaging devices, and morespecifically, to a computerized controller for packaging devices.

BACKGROUND

Packaging machines are used to create packaging materials, such ascushioning elements, that may be used to surround or contain items in apredetermined volume (e.g., box) to allow the item to be shipped,transported, stored, and the like with a reduced risk of damage.Examples of packaging machines include foam-in-bag machines that inflatebags with expandable foam where the foam provides the cushioningsupport, air-bag machines that inflate bags with air or other similargases to provide the cushioning support, and dunnage machines that shredmaterials such as paper where the shredded elements provide cushioningfor the items.

Operational control of packaging machines often requires manual input bya user or machine administrator. For example, for a foam-in-bag machine,such settings can include, bag dimensions, the percentage of foam thatshould be inserted into the bag, and the number of bags desired. Othertypes of machines include related types of input requirements. Thesemanual inputs can be some limited, as well as time consuming, confusingor difficult to follow, and may result in issues due to human error(e.g., typographical errors, etc.). Furthermore, users of conventionalpackaging machines may be required to manually enter inputs to makenumerous packaging elements, cumbersomely waiting for each packagingelement to be created before entering an input for a subsequentpackaging element. This can result in an inefficient use of the user'stime, as well as the user's employer's resources.

Additionally, often packaging machines may run through an inventor ofraw materials without a user being aware of the current inventorylevels. This may cause an inventory of raw materials to be exhaustedwithout new supplies having been ordered. This causes delays inproducing packaging materials, delay completion of orders and causepackaging material companies to lose money or customers.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a method for maintaining an inventory of packagingsupplies is disclosed. The method includes receiving by a processingelement an initial level of packaging supplies, e.g., supplies that areused to create packaging materials. Once the initial level is received,the method includes receiving by the processing element packaging datacorresponding to current supply use by one or more packaging machinesover a predetermined time period, determining by the packaging machinewhether a current level of packaging supplies is below a predeterminedthreshold and when the current level of packaging supplies is below apredetermined threshold, activating by the processing element a neworder process.

In another embodiment, a machine for creating packaging materials andreordering supply materials is disclosed. The machine includes a supplymaterial input for receiving raw supplies, one or more machinecomponents configured to convert the raw supplies into completedpackaging materials, a material output for outputting completedpackaging materials created using the raw supplies and a processingelement configured to receive data corresponding to one or more machinecomponents. The processing element determines using at least one of aninitial raw supply level, a completed packaging materials level, one ormore current packaging material orders, or historical operatingparameters of the one or more machine components to determine ifadditional raw supplies are required.

In yet another embodiment, a foam-in-bag packaging system is disclosed.The foam-in-bag packaging system includes a foam-in-bag machine and aportable computing device in electrical communication with thefoam-in-bag machine. The portable computing device including at leastone processing element, a touch sensitive display in communication withthe at least one processing element and a network/communicationinterface in communication with the at least one processing element. Theprocessing element transmits a new order message via thenetwork/communication interface to a user device to reorder raw suppliesfor use by the foam-in-bag machine based on at least one of a number ofbags created by the foam-in-bag machine over a predetermined timeperiod, an initial inventory of raw supplies, one or more current bagorders, and a prediction of future bag orders.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a packaging system including a packagingmachine and a controller.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating raw supplies being received intoan input of a packaging machine and the machine outputting at an outputpackaging materials.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of the packaging system of FIG. 1A includingadditional machines.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of the packaging system of FIG. 1A includingadditional controllers and machines.

FIG. 2C is a diagram illustrating the system of FIG. 2A with varioustypes of machines.

FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of the controller of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 4A is a rear isometric view of an example of a packaging assemblyincluding foam precursor or other chemical supplies.

FIG. 4B is a side isometric view of the packaging assembly of FIG. 4Awith the material supplies hidden for clarity.

FIG. 4C is an enlarged view of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4D is a perspective view of a mounting assembly for the packagingsystem of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A is an image of an example of a custom element graphical userinterface for the controller.

FIG. 5B is an image of an example of a custom sequence graphical userinterface for the controller.

FIG. 6 is an image of an example of a queue graphical user interface.

FIG. 7A is an image of the queue graphical user interface of FIG. 6 witha sequence and an item added to a queue pathway.

FIG. 7B is an image of the queue graphical user interface of FIG. 6 withtwo items and a sequence added to the queue pathway.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method for adding items to a queuefor the machine of the packaging assembly of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method for using the controller tomonitor and reorder supplies for the packaging system of FIG. 4A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some embodiments herein, a packaging system including a controllerand a packaging machine is disclosed. The packaging machine is typicallya device for making protective packaging, although in other embodimentsit can be other types of manufacturing machines. Embodiments of machinescreate packaging material, including protective packaging materials andother packaging products. Exemplary protective packaging materialsinclude foam-in-bag cushions, foam-in-place protective packaging,inflated pillows and cushions, inflatable bags, paper dunnage, and thelike, for example for impact protection, stabilizing products within abox or other container, or void fill. In some embodiments, thecontroller can be any type of suitable processor, computer, orelectronic module associated with or in the machine.

In some embodiments, the controller can be a computer. The computer maybe a portable computer, such as a tablet, smart phone, gaming device, orthe like, and is placed into communication with the packaging device aswell as one or more sensors that may be connected to or integrated withthe packaging device. As will be described in more detail below, thecontroller may control and/or vary one or more components of thepackaging machine (e.g., settings, machine selections, cushioningcharacteristics, etc.) and may sense and control input materialsprovided to the packaging machine (e.g., sheets of plastic used tocreate the inflatable bags). Further, the controller may also be incommunication with one or more other controllers and/or machines, so asto allow the controller to communicate with and control an entirewarehouse or other grouping of packaging machines, where the group ofmachines may be located in a single location or in two or morelocations.

The controller may be configured to reorder supplies (e.g., consumablesby the machine) for the packaging machine. For example, the controllermay monitor the current status of the input or raw materials (e.g.,through one or more sensors on the packaging machine, inventorydatabases, the controller, and/or materials) and when the raw materialsreach a particular level the controller may place an order or send anotification that new supplies are required. In another example, thecontroller may estimate the materials or consumables remaining based onthe queue history of the matching. In this example, the controller canreview the types and number of cushioning elements created over a settime period and using that data determine the amount of materials thatmay be remaining. In examples the controller can predict when new rawsupplies will be needed and automatically alert a user and/orautomatically place orders from a vendor for the raw supplies, thepackaging materials manufacturer may eliminate delays due to exhaustionof raw supplies, increasing production times, and products.

In some embodiments, the controller may receive an input indicating adesired cushioning element to be created and/or a packaged item forwhich the cushioning element is needed. Based on the input, thecontroller may adjust the machine parameters to create the desiredcushioning element. The input may be a user input (e.g., selection of anicon or entered data), may be sensed by the controller or machine (e.g.,first type of material corresponds to a first type of bag), or may be acombination of a sensed and user input. Additionally, the controller mayadjust components of the machine based on other users or states of themachines. As one example, during a maintenance setting the controllermay provide power to certain components, while withholding power fromothers. In this example, a user can repair and/or test a machine with areduced risk of injury to himself and/or the machine. As anotherexample, during a cleaning setting the controller may activatecomponents to operate a cleaning cycle for the machine. Depending on thepackaging machine and user preferences, the controller may be configuredto selectively modify, control, monitor, and/or activate each componentof the packaging machine and may do these actions either based on a userinput, automatically (e.g., through sensed data), or a combinationthereof.

As briefly discussed above, the controller may include a display eitherintegrated therewith (e.g., a tablet) or a display that is separate fromthe controller but in communication therewith. The display may be usedto display a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to selectand modify the machine and to instruct the machine to create a desiredcushioning element or elements in a desired order and with a particularset of characteristics. The GUI may include icons that mirror or mimiccharacteristics of particular cushioning elements (e.g., image thatmatches an image of a particular bag). This allows a user to quicklyvisually identify the desired input without requiring additionalknowledge of the machine. The icons may indicate selectedcharacteristics and parameters of packaging element or elements, andchanges to the parameters may be reflected by the icons. The icons maybe selected by a user to provide instructions to the machine based onthe desire cushioning element or elements to be created by the machine.

The controller may receive user input that loads the selected cushioningelement to be created into a manufacturing queue for the packagingmachine. Alternatively or additionally, the icons or other inputcomponents for the controller may be configured to set a sequence ofbags or other cushioning elements that can then be added as a group tothe queue of the machine. For example, when the user selects aparticular icon on the GUI, a first sequence of cushioning elements maybe programmed into the machine in order to be manufactured in the orderof the sequence. The cushioning elements within the sequence may then beadded to the machine's queue to create those elements. The cushioningelements within the queue may thus be added either via a particularsequence or may be added individually. This allows the queue of themachine to be dynamically tailored to the specific needs of the user.Also, the order of items within the queue may be selected. For example,when adding a new item or sequence to the queue the user or thecontroller may assign the item or sequence a priority, where thepriority may determine the item or sequence's placement within thequeue. This allows certain cushioning elements to be made before others,depending on the priority. Also, the order of items within the queue maybe varied. For example, while or after a queue is created, a user maymodify the order. The order of the items within the queue and changesmade thereto may be represented by the GUI. For example, the iconsrepresenting items or sequences may be presented on the GUI according tothe order of the represented items or sequences within the queue.

In some embodiments, the controller may control production stepsrelating to how the machine produces packaging elements. For example,the controller may also be configured to insert pauses into the queue ofthe packaging machine. For example, between each cushioning elementand/or sequence, the controller may instruct the machine to enter into apause state or otherwise not proceed to the next element in the sequenceuntil a set period of time has elapsed. This may help to ensure that themachine does not overheat, that the cushioning elements are madecorrectly, or that the downstream processes (e.g., removing of thecushioning elements from the machine) can be done before the nextcushioning element is created. As another example, the controller may beconfigured to insert a cleaning step into the queue of the packagingmachine. For example, the cleaning step may cause the packaging machineto administer a cleaning fluid to one or more components of the machine.For example, for a foam-in-bag machine, a solvent may be administered toprevent buildup of the foam precursor.

In one example, the controller may receive data (e.g., input by a user,from a sensor such as a bar code scanner, or the like) regarding an itemto be packaged using the packaging elements created by the machine ormachines. In this example, the controller may preload a desired item orqueue of items to be created based on the packaged item into themachine, as well as may display steps or operations that may beperformed by other machines or by the user. In this example, thecontroller may be used to provide instructions (to the machine and/oruser) regarding the entirety of, or a portion of, the packaging flow forthe item. This allows customized packaging to be more easily created andintegrated into an automated process.

The various features provided by the controller may be set to variousaccess levels. For example, an administrator may be able to access andmodify features that a user may not be able to access. This allows amanufacturer to prevent some settings on the packaging machine frombeing modified by a user, while still allowing those features to bemodified by a person having the correct access levels.

Turning now to the figures, a system for controlling one or moremanufacturing machines will now be discussed. It should be noted thatalthough the below examples are discussed with respect to packagingmaterial manufacturing machines, the present disclosure may be appliedto substantially any suitable type of manufacturing machine. FIG. 1A isa block diagram illustrating a manufacturing and control system with asingle machine and controller. FIG. 1B illustrate the input and outputsfor a packaging machine. FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating asystem with multiple machines. FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating asystem with multiple machines with their own controllers. With referenceto FIG. 1A, the manufacturing and control system 100 may include amachine 102 having one or more sensors 108 and a controller 104. Thecontroller 104, and optionally the machine 102, may be in communicationwith a network 106 which allows the controller 104 and/or machine 102 toreceive and transmit data to and from other controllers, machines,and/or computing devices, as will be discussed in more detail below. Thecontroller 104 and/or machine 102 may communicate with an externaldatabase, such as a cloud database 122 that runs on a cloud computingplatform.

With reference to FIG. 1B, the machine 102 receives raw supplies 105(e.g., foam precursors, paper products, plastic films, etc.) that can beused to create packaging materials at an input 103. As the raw supplies105 are input into the machine 102, the machine components (e.g.,motors, pumps, conveyors, etc.) convert the raw supplies 105 intopackaging materials 111. In other words, after the machine componentsprocess the raw supplies 105, an output 109 of the machine outputs theformed or generated packaging materials 111. As a first example, ininstances where the machine 102 is a paper dunnage machine, the rawsupplies 105 may be one or more paper products and the machinecomponents convert the paper products into paper dunnage, which istransmitted to the output 109 for a user to insert into a package. As asecond example, in instances where the machine 102 is a foam-in-bagmachine, the raw supplies 105 may include foam precursors and/or filmsto create foam-in-bag packing materials. As a third example, ininstances where the machine 102 is a pillow machine, the raw materials105 may be films and/or compressed air or other gases that are used toinflate the pillows which are output as the packaging materials 111. Thetype of raw materials 105 depends on the type of packaging materials 111desired to be created by the machine 102.

The controller 104 is in electrical communication with the machine 102and the network 106. With reference to FIG. 2A, in a multiple machinesystem 110, the controller 104 may be in communication with othermachines 112, 116, 120, 125. This allows the controller 104 to receiveand send data to each of the machines 102, 112, 116, 120, 125 and allowsa single controller to control the operations and operating settings ofthe machines. As one example, the controller 104 may send and receiveinstructions to each of the machines, allowing a single controller 104to operate multiple machines. In these embodiments, the machines may notinclude a display or other user interface or may have a simplified userinterface and the operation and programming of the machine may be donevia the controller 104 (e.g., through communication through the network106).

With reference to FIG. 2B, in a multiple machine system 110, eachcontroller 104, 114, 118, 122 may be in communication with at least oneanother controller, or as shown in FIG. 2B every controller (eitherdirectly or indirectly) within the system 110. This allows each of thecontrollers 104, 114, 118, 122 to send and receive data between eachother and receive and send data about each machine 102, 112, 116, 120within the system 110.

In the system 110 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, each machine 102, 112, 116,120 may be in a similar physical location (e.g., in a single warehouse,campus, or station) or may be in a variety of different locationsspatially separated from one another (e.g., across multiple states,countries, or the like). The system 110 may allow each controller 104,114, 118, 122 to control one or more of the machines 102, 112, 116, 120.The multiple machine system 110 of FIGS. 2A and 2B may include the samecomponents as the system 100 of FIG. 1A and as such, for ease ofexplanation, the following discussion is made with respect to the singlemachine system 100 of FIG. 1A, but may be understood to apply to thecomponents of the system 110. That is, each of the controllers 114, 118,122 and machines 112, 116, 120 of system 110 that are not discussedbelow may be substantially the same as controller 104 and machine 102,respectively, of the system 100 discussed below, with the exceptionbeing that any of the machines and/or controllers may be different fromone another within the system 110. As shown in FIG. 2C, the machines maybe grouped in packaging “stations” where a controller 104 may controldifferent types of machines that a user can operate simultaneously orseparately.

With reference to FIG. 2C, in this embodiment, the system 110 mayinclude three different types of machines, such that the first machine102 may be a foam-in-bag machine, the second machine 112 may be aninflated air pillow machine, and the third machine 116 may be a paperdunnage machine. In this example the controller 104 may control thequeues and/or sequences (discussed in more detail below) for each of themachines 102, 112, 116 although the machines may each make differentcushioning elements. Additionally, in this example the system 110 mayinclude an external sensor 133, such as a barcode scanner, that may beused to receive data and transmit data to the controller 104. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 2C, each of the machines, the controller 104,and/or the external sensor 133 may be in communication with thecontroller 104 and/or each other, e.g., through a WiFi network,Bluetooth, or the like.

In some embodiments, using the system 110 shown in FIG. 2C, the user mayscan a packaging item 135 (i.e., an item to be packed and cushionedusing cushioning materials) using the external sensor 133. The externalsensor 133 may scan a barcode, serial number, color, quick response (QR)code, or the like, and transmit the item data to the controller 104.Based on the data, the controller 104 determines the type of cushioningelements needed for the item 135 and transmits the items into the queuesfor each of the machines 102, 112, 116, which either substantiallysimultaneously or sequentially, create the cushioning elements.

With reference again to FIG. 1A, the controller 104 and the machine 102will now be discussed in more detail. FIG. 3 is a simplified blockdiagram of the controller. FIG. 4F is an enlarged view of the controllerconnected to the machine. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, thecontroller 104 may be substantially any type of electronic or computingdevice. Some non-limiting examples include a tablet computer, asmartphone, a digital music player, portable gaming station, laptopcomputer, microcomputer, processor or processing chip, or the like. Inmany embodiments the controller 104 may be a portable computing devicewith an integrated touch sensitive display, such as a tablet computer orsmart phone.

The controller 104 may include one or more processing elements 130, oneor more sensors 132, one or more memory components 134, a display 132, anetworking/communication interface 138, and an input/output interface140. Each of the components may be in communication either directly orindirectly with one another via one or more systems busses and each willbe discussed in turn below. It should be noted that FIG. 3 is meant asexemplary, and in other examples, the controller 104 may include feweror more components than those shown in FIG. 3.

With reference to FIGS. 4A-4C, in embodiments where the controller is aportable computing device with an integrated touch sensitive screen(e.g., a tablet or smart phone), the controller may include a deviceenclosure 113 that encloses at least a portion of the select components.For example, the enclosure 113 may define a housing for the componentsof the controller 104, while still providing access to the components,such as one or more cameras 117, ports 115, and/or input/output buttons119. Additionally, the enclosure 113 may only enclose a portion of thedisplay 136 to allow the display to be visible and accessible to theuser.

With reference again to FIG. 3, the one or more processing elements 130may be substantially any suitable electronic device cable of processing,receiving, and/or transmitting instructions. For example, the processingelement 130 may be a microprocessor or a microcomputer. Additionally, itshould be noted that the processing element 130 may include more thanone processing member. For example, a first processing element maycontrol a first set of components of the controller 104 and a secondprocessing element may control a second set of components of thecontroller 104, where the first and second processing elements may ormay not be in communication with each other. Additionally, eachprocessing element 130 may be configured to execute one or moreinstructions in parallel.

The sensors 132 may provide substantially any type of input to thecontroller 104. For example, the sensors 132 may be one or moreaccelerometers, microphones, global positioning sensors, gyroscopes,light sensors, image sensors (such as a camera), force sensors, and soon. The type, number, and location of the sensors 132 may be varied asdesired and may depend on the desired functions of the system 100. Insome examples, the sensors 132 may include at least a camera 117 and amicrophone 127 that capture images and sound, respectively.

The memory 134 stores electronic data that may be utilized by thecontroller 104. For example, the memory 134 may store electrical data orcontent e.g., audio files, video files, document files, and so on,corresponding to various applications. The memory 134 may be, forexample, non-volatile storage, a magnetic storage medium, opticalstorage medium, magneto-optical storage medium, read only memory, randomaccess memory, erasable programmable memory, flash memory, or acombination of one or more types of memory components.

The display 136 provides a visual output for the controller 104. Thedisplay 136 may be substantially any size and may be positionedsubstantially anywhere on the controller 104. In some embodiments, thedisplay 136 may be a liquid display screen, plasma screen, lightemitting diode screen, and so on. The display 136 may also function asan input device in addition to displaying output from the controller104. For example, the display 136 may include capacitive touch sensors,infrared touch sensors, or the like that may capture a user's input tothe display 136. In these embodiments, a user may press on the display136 in order to provide input to the controller 104. In otherembodiments, the display 136 may be separate from or otherwise externalto the electronic device, but may be in communication therewith toprovide a visual output for the electronic device.

The networking/communication interface 138 receives and transmits datato and from the controller 104. The networking/communication interface138 may be transmit and send data to the network 106, other machines,and/or other computing devices. For example, thenetworking/communication interface may transmit data to and from othercomputing devices through the network 106 which may be a wirelessnetwork (WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular network, etc.) or a wired network(Ethernet), or a combination thereof.

As a specific example, the networking/communication interface 138 may beconfigured to allow the controller 104 to communicate with the machine152 and control various components within the machine. Thenetworking/communication interface 138 may translate messages from thecontroller 104 into a form that the machine 104 can understand andreceive. For example, with reference to FIG. 4F, thenetworking/communication interface 138 may include an input port 115that is defined through the device enclosure 113. In this example, theinput port 115 may be a micro universal serial bus port, but many othertypes of ports are envisioned. The input port 115 may receive aconnector, such as the male end of a cable and when connected transmitsdata to and from the machine 102 from the controller 104.

The input/output interface 140 allows the controller 104 to receiveinputs from a user and provide output to the user. For example, theinput/output interface 140 may include a capacitive touch screen,keyboard, mouse, stylus, or the like. The type of devices that interactvia the input/output interface 140 may be varied as desired. In oneexample, one or more buttons 119 may be included in the input/outputinterface 140. The buttons 119 allow a user to provide in input to thecontroller 104 such as returning to a home screen, selecting aparticular function, or the like.

The controller 104 may also include a power supply 142. The power supply142 provides power to various components of the controller 104. Thepower supply 142 may include one or more rechargeable, disposable, orhardwire sources, e.g., batteries, power cord, or the like.Additionally, the power supply 142 may include one or more types ofconnectors or components that provide different types of power to thecontroller 104. In some embodiments, the power supply 142 may include aconnector (such as a universal serial bus) that provides power to thecontroller 104 or batteries within the controller 104 and also transmitsdata to and from the controller 104 to the machine 102 and/or anothercomputing device.

With reference again to FIG. 1A, the machine 102 may be substantiallyany type of manufacturing machine. However, in many embodiments themachine 102 may be a packaging machine that produces packaging materialsor cushioning elements, such as, but not limited to, dunnage,foam-in-bag pillows, air or gas filled pillows, bubble wrap, or thelike. Examples of sheet-fed paper dunnage machines that may be used withthe system 100 of FIG. 1A include machines such as those described inU.S. Pat. No. 8,267,848 entitled “Dunnage Device and HandlerDisengagement,” which is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety. Examples of center-fed paper dunnage machines include thosedescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,641,591 entitled “Center-Fed DunnageSystem,” and U.S. Publication No. 2012/0165172 entitled, “Center FedDunnage System and Cutter.” Examples of air inflation sealing devicemachines include U.S. Pat. No. 8,061,110 entitled “Inflation and SealingDevice with Disengagement Mechanism,” U.S. Pat. No. 8,128,770 entitled,“Inflation and Sealing Device for Inflatable Air Cushions,” U.S.Publication No. 2011/0172072 entitled, “Packaging pillow device withupstream components,” and U.S. application Ser. No. 13/844,741 entitled“Replaceable Blade,” each of which is incorporated by reference hereinin its entirety. Examples of foam based protective packaging machinesinclude U.S. Publication No. 2013/0047554 entitled, “Spindle Mechanismfor Protective Packaging Device,” U.S. Provisional Application No.61/944,030 and U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. Nos. 14/630,642 and14/630,643 entitled, “Inflation and Sealing Device and Methods,” andU.S. Non-provisional application Ser. No. 14/630,586 entitled, “RecipeControlled Device for Making Packaging Materials,” each of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate various views of an example of a foam-in-bag(FIB) machine incorporating the controller 104. With reference to FIGS.4A-4C, the FIB machine 152 includes a control panel 160 and a mountingassembly 162 for the controller 104. Additionally, the machine 152 maybe supported on a stand 154 anchored to a base 156 having a set ofwheels 158. The stand 154 may allow the machine 152 to be telescoping toallow the machine 152 to be positioned at various heights relative tothe base 156.

The FIB machine 152 may be substantially similar to the machinedescribed in U.S. Publication No. 2013/0047552 entitled “Foam-in-BagApparatus with Power Failure Protection,” and incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

The FIB machine 152 may include one or more pumps 171 that are fluidlyconnected to one or more foam precursor supply chemicals, Fill MaterialA and Fill Material B, such as chemical canisters that are used tocreate a cushioning foam. One or more nozzles or hoses may be used toconnect the pumps 171 to the respective fill material supply containersand connect the pumps 171 to the machine 152, allowing the supplycontainers to be positioned in locations separate from the FIB machine152. The machine 152 may also include a solution pump 173 connected toits base 156. The solution pump 173 may be fluidly connected to acleaning solution reservoir that may be attached to or separate from themachine. The machine 152 may also include a roll reception assembly 176that extends outward from the machine 152. The roll reception assembly172 may include a dowel or other roll support that receives a roll offilm material, such as the material used to form the bag in which thefoam is injected into.

The mounting assembly 162 is configured to support the controller 104 onthe FIB machine 152. The mounting assembly 162 may include a back plate164, an enclosure 166, a hinge 168, and a latch 170 (see FIG. 4B). Theback plate 164 forms a support bracket that is connected to a housing ofthe FIB machine 152. The back plate 164 may form a recessed cavity inwhich the controller 104 may be secured. The hinge 168 is connected tothe controller 104 and the back plate 164 and allows the controller 104to extend outwards from the back plate 164 and be rotatable relativethereto. For example, the hinge 168 may allow the controller 104 torotate on its pivot point to angles between 0 and 180 degrees, or overanother suitable angular range, relative to the back plate 164 and alsoallows the controller 104 to rotate at different angles so that thedisplay 136 can be oriented by a user to a desired viewing angle. Therotatable features of the hinge 168 allow each user to position thedisplay 136 of the controller 104 at an angle he or she desires, andalso allows the controller 104 to be stored in a recessed positionagainst the back plate 164 and parallel thereto. The stored positionhelps to prevent the controller 104 from being damaged when not in use(e.g., transportation of the machine 152 and/or storage of the machine).In other words, the hinge 168 may have a horizontal axis of rotationand/or a vertical or other axis of rotation to allow the controller 104to be positioned at a variety of different locations. Alternative mountscan enable other positions of the controller 104.

In one embodiment, the hinge 168 may be configured so that thecontroller 104 may be rotated by a user's hand. For example, the hinge168 may include a hinge pin that exerts a frictional torque against therotation of the enclosure 166. The friction may be adjustable, e.g., byturning a lock nut, but generally the friction may be set so that thetorque will be high enough so that the hinge 168 will not rotate whenthe controller 104 is tapped (e.g., such as by a user touching thedisplay 136), but low enough so that the angle of the controller 104 canbe adjusted by hand.

The enclosure 166 of the mounting assembly 162 may enclose a portion ofthe controller 104 to secure the controller 104 to the machine 152. Forexample, the enclosure 166 may surround the sides of the display 136 andthe backside of the controller 104, which allows the display 136 to beviewable by the user and allows the sensors 132, such a camera, to alsohave a field of view. The enclosure 166 can help to protect thecontroller 104 from debris, fluids, and secures the controller 104 tothe machine 152 to help prevent the controller 104 from being removed.For example, the enclosure 166 may be connected to the controller 104with specialized fasteners so that only an authorized user can removethe controller 104 from the machine 152 to help prevent theft and damageto the controller 104. Alternative mounting assemblies can be more openallow easy placement and removal of the controller 104.

In this embodiment, the latch 170 secures the controller 104 to the backplate 164 when in the stored position. The latch 170 may be a magneticfastener that magnetically attaches to the backside of the enclosure 166to secure the controller 104 adjacent the back plate 164, orsubstantially any other type of fastener that can selectively secure thecontroller 104 in a desired position.

FIG. 4D is an enlarged view of the mounting assembly 162 with a topcover of the enclosure hidden for clarity. With reference to FIG. 4D,the mounting assembly 162 may include multiple fasteners that secure thecontroller 104 to the enclosure 166. For example, the mounting assembly162 may include brackets 161 a, 161 b that clamp around a front side ofthe controller 104 to secure it against the back wall of the enclosure166. Additionally, the mounting assembly 162 may include a plurality ofshock absorbers 165 a, 165 b, 165 c that dampen vibrations from themachine 152 and/or mounting assembly 162 to help protect the controller104. In other words, the shock absorbers help to reduce damage to thecontroller 104.

For a FIB machine, in operation, one or more foam precursors are fluidlyconnected to the pump 174, and a film roll is loaded on the rollreception assembly 176. For example, the film may be fed through themachine 152 and the machine 152 seals the edges of two sheets of filmtogether and the foam precursor is sprayed or deposited between thesheets of film. When a desired fill supply has been inserted into thechamber defined by the sheets, and the film is a desired length, themachine 152 seals the ends of the sheets to seal foam precursor withinthe chamber. The film is then cut to a desired length by a cuttingelement and the cushioning element is created. Other known types offoam-in-bag machines can also or alternatively be used.

For a machine that makes paper or other crumpled or folded dunnagemachine, the machine can use suitable stock materials, such asindividual, separate, e.g. pre-cut, sheets, tubes, or a continuous sheetor other material that is cut to length, typically after or during itsbeing formed into dunnage. Continuous type stock material examplesinclude a long strip of sheet material fed from the interior or exteriorof one or more supply rolls or fanfolded material stacks. The convertercan be configured to crumple the sheets in a desired direction, such ascross-crumpling with folds and creases extending transversely to thefeed direction of the sheets, or longitudinal crumpling, with folds andcrease extending longitudinally along the direction in which thesheet(s) are fed through the converter, although a combination ofdirections or other directions can be used.

In an example of a cross-crumpling device, the dunnage converter mayinclude entry-side crumpling rollers or other elements that move aportion of the sheet with which they interact at a faster rate, andexit-side crumpling rollers or other elements that move a portion of thesheet that they interact with at a slower rate. These rollers can bearranged to define a crumpling zone therebetween. A sheet of material ismoved through the entry rollers along a longitudinal path at the fasterrate. Since the exit-side rollers move at the slower rate, the materialis compressed into the crumpling zone and thus crumpled into dunnage. Insome embodiments, entry-side and exit-side crumpling rollers may bedisplaced transversely along the path with respect to each other tocause shearing effect in the material within the crumpling zone, to formtighter and more offset creases in the transverse region that isdisposed longitudinally downstream from the crumple zone. Such devicesare disclosed, for instance in U.S. Pat. No. 8,267,848 entitled “DunnageDevice and Handler Disengagement,” the entirety of which is incorporatedherein by reference. The control panel 160 and/or the controller 104 mayinclude means for adjusting the speed and/or position of the crumplingrollers to adjust the crumpling of the material. The control panel 160and/or the controller 104 may include means for controlling a cuttingelement to cut a predetermined length of the material so to createdunnage of a desired size.

In a longitudinal crumpling machine, typically, long, continuous stripsof paper of other material are fed into a converting station. In devicesthat feed from the inside of a roll, the material may twist along alongitudinal axis as a helix, forming a tube or coil. A drum can bedriven to draw the tube or coil through the converting station. A rollercan be positioned and biased against the drum to flatten the tube orcoil. The biased drum can grip the tube or coil, pull it along the feedpath so to pinch the material of the tube or coil so that the materialbunches ahead of the pinched portion, and is crumpled so to formdunnage. Such devices are disclosed, for instance in U.S. ApplicationPublication No. 2012/0165172 entitled “Center-Fed Dunnage System Feedand Cutter,” and U.S. Application Publication No. 2014/0038805 entitled“Dunnage Supply Daisy Chain Connector,” the entireties of which isincorporated herein by reference. The control panel 160 and/or thecontroller 104 may include means for adjusting the speed and/or positionof the roller relative to adjust the crumpling of the material.Adjusting the speed and/or position of the roller relative to the drummay also create creases of a desired tightness. The control panel 160and/or the controller 104 may include means for controlling a cuttingfeature to cut a predetermined length of the material so to createdunnage of a desired size.

In devices that feed from the outside of a roll, the device may crumplethe material in a generally longitudinal pattern, thereby putting aseries of longitudinal folds and/or pleats within the sheeting. Thedevice may include a rake having tines and spaces therebetween, overwhich paper is fed to create waves within the sheeting. The sheeting maythen pass through a space between a drum and a guide roller, so that thewaves form folds and/or pleats within the paper sheeting. Such devicesare disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,016,735 entitled“Apparatus for Crumpling Paper Substrates,” the entirety of which isincorporated herein by reference. The control panel 160 and/or thecontroller 104 may include means for adjusting the positions of thetines and spaces to adjust the size of the waves and thus adjust theconfiguration of the folds and/or pleats. The control panel 160 and/orthe controller 104 may include means for adjusting the speed and/orpositions of the drum and guide roller to adjust the folding and/orpleating of the material. The control panel 160 and/or the controller104 may include means for controlling a cutting feature to cut apredetermined length of the material so to create dunnage of a desiredsize.

In other devices that feed from the outside of a roll, the device mayinclude a throat section and a pair of crumpling rollers. As material ispulled through the throat section, it may gather or pleat. The gatheredor pleated material may be fed between the pair of crumpling rollers,which may press the gathered or pleated material together to formdunnage. Such devices are disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No.6,910,997 entitled “Machine and Method for Making Paper Dunnage,” theentirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. The control panel160 and/or the controller 104 may include means for adjusting the sizeof the throat, and/or the speed and/or position of the crumpling rollersto adjust the crumpling of the material. The control panel 160 and/orthe controller 104 may include means for controlling a cutting elementto cut a predetermined length of the material so to create dunnage of adesired size.

With reference to FIG. 4C, the control panel 160 will now be discussedin more detail. The control panel 160 includes a plurality of inputbuttons 180 a-180 g, 184 a-184 c that may be used to control aspects ofthe machines 152. The functions of the input buttons 180 a-180 g, 184a-184 c may be the same as some of the functions that are adjustable viathe controller 104 or may be different from those adjustable by thecontroller 104. In embodiments where the input buttons 180 a-180 g, 184a-184 c of the control panel 160 control functions that are adjustableby the controller 104, the machine 152 may include duplicative controlswhich may assist in teaching new users how to use the functionality ofthe controller 104 and may provide a backup control system for themachine 152.

The first set of input buttons 180 a, 180 b, 180 c, 180 d, 180 e, 180 f180 g can be programmed to correspond to the dimensions of the bagproduced by the FIB machine 152. For example the first button 180 a maycorrespond to the smallest default size bag, the seventh button 180 fmay correspond to the largest default size bag, and the eighth button180 g may correspond to the previous size bag that was used. It shouldbe noted that the input buttons may be programmed for substantially anytask or input to the machine, such as, but not limited to, item creationsequences, queues, and different sizes or characteristics that may notnecessarily correspond to the external markings on the input buttons.

With reference to FIG. 4C, in addition to the bag dimension inputbuttons 180 a-180 g, the control panel 160 may include a secondarycontrol panel 182. The secondary control panel 182 includes a stopbutton 184 a, a film roll button 184 b, and a height button 184. Thestop button 184 a stops the operation of the FIB machine 152, the filmmachine 184 b loads additional film into the machine 152, and the heightbutton 184 c adjusts the height of the stand 154 to raise and lower themachine 152.

In some embodiments, the control panel 160 may form part of a machinecontrol system for controlling various components of the machine 152 toform packaging elements. For example, buttons 180 a-180 g, whichcorresponding to the dimensions of the bag, may cause the machinecontrol system to control one or more drive mechanisms that outputcertain amounts of web material to form bags of a particular size. Indoing so, when a user activates (e.g., pushes on) a button 180 a-180 g,data is sent to the drive mechanisms, to thereby activate and controlthe drive mechanisms.

Controller Operation

The controller 104 may send data to the machine 102 to activate andcontrol the drive mechanisms, similarly to the control panel 160. Insome embodiments, the controller 104 communicates with the control panel160. For example, the controller 104 may send data to the control panel160, and based on the data, the control panel 160 may send data to thedrive mechanisms for activating and controlling the drive mechanisms. Insome embodiments, the controller 104 may communicate directly to thecomponents of the machine themselves. For example, the controller 104may send data directly to the drive mechanisms to activate and controlthe drive mechanisms. In some embodiments, the control panel 106 may beomitted and/or varied as the controller 104 may include functionality ofthe control panel 106. Additionally, it should be noted that the buttonsand their functions as shown in FIGS. 4A-4C are illustrative and may bevaried as desired.

As discussed in more detail below, the controller 104 can control theoperation, characteristics, and parameters of these machines. Forexample, the controller 104 may be used to operate the machine 102,track data regarding the machine, the cushioning elements, user inputs,and the like, and may also be used to communicate between machines,users, and the network 106. In one example, the controller 104 may trackdata corresponding to the usage of the machine (e.g., number ofcushioning elements created, the amount of fill materials, time of peakusage, and so on), the location of the machine (e.g., through globalpositioning system or beacon) and may then provide this data to anothercomputing device through the network 106 and/or through a directconnection means (e.g., cable, removable memory, etc.). This allows amanufacture to track the operation of its machines and ensure that themachines are operating as desired. Additionally, the data tracking andtransmission may allow a manufacture to better service its machines andclients as it can better track customer needs, trends, common issues,and so on.

As the controller 104 can operate the machine, it is able to modifysettings of certain components within the machine, and can tailor thecomponents and operation of the machine to particular customers, typesof cushioning elements, operating environment, and other factors.

As one example, the controller 104 may selectively provide power tocertain components within the machine 152. For example, during amaintenance setting, the controller 104 may restrict power to thefilm-cutting device (such as a heating element) but may provide power tothe feed roller. The components may be selectable by a user or may bepredetermined based on a setting or the like.

The controller 104 may allow a user to manually vary certain machineparameters. For example the controller 104 may allow a user to adjustthe film feed rate, the heating time or temperature, the fill material(e.g., foam-precursor or air) percentage or the like. However, in someembodiments the features that may be modified by a user may berestricted to various levels of user access. For example, a typical usermay not be able to modify certain components below or above thresholdlevels. As another example, certain components may be restricted totypical users. The number of access levels and components that arerestricted may be varied as desired.

Sequence and Queues

The controller 104 can set the characteristics for packaging elements(e.g., pillows, paper dunnage) that are created by the machine 102 andcan also determine the order in which packaging elements with certaincharacteristics are created (i.e., a manufacturing queue). Inembodiments where the controller 104 is used with the FIB machine 152,the controller 104 may be used to control the length of each cushioningpillow, the amount of fill material deposited into the pillow, the typeof fill material used, and the order and number of cushioning pillowsthat are created. Additionally, it should be noted that the featurescontrolled by the controller 104, such as the sequences and queues, maybe assigned to manual inputs to the machine 152 as well. For example, afoot pedal and/or the control panel 160 buttons may be assigned to matchone or more buttons for the controller 104 so that the functionality ofthe manual inputs to the machine may correspond to the functionality ofcertain electronic inputs from the controller 104.

FIG. 5A is an illustrative image of a graphical user interface 200 forthe controller 104 that allows a user to create a custom cushioningelement. With reference to FIG. 5B, in this embodiment, the individualelement GUI 200 may include a bag icon 202 having a fill materialgraphic 204, as well as fill adjustment inputs 206, length adjustmentinputs 210, and editing inputs 208. The bag icon 202 may be configuredto correspond to the type of cushioning element being created. Forexample, a foam-in-bag element and the fill material graphic 204correspond to the percentage of fill material to be deposited. In thisexample, the fill material for the bag is set to 20% and so the fillmaterial graphic 204 is shown as another color filling about 20% of thebag icon 202. This provides a visual indicator for the user thatdirectly corresponds to the amount of fill material that will be used toinflate the bag. Additionally, although not shown in this example, thegraphic selected for the fill material graphic 204 may includeadditional features depending on the type of bag, such as any connectionpoints or columns defined in the bag (e.g., sealed portions that definedifferent pillow configurations within the bag).

With continued reference to FIG. 5A, the fill adjustment inputs 206allow a user to provide input to the controller 104 to vary thepercentage fill for the bag. For example, a user may press the up arrowas displayed on the display 136 of the controller 104 to increase thefill percentage and the down arrow to decrease the fill percentage. Itshould be noted that the controller 104 may include minimum and/ormaximum values for the fill percentage, so as to prevent a user fromover or under filling a particular bag. However the minimum and maximumvalues may be adjusted or removed by a user with a desired access level(e.g., administrator, or the like).

Similarly, the length adjustment inputs 210 allow the user to increaseor decrease the length of the bag. The length adjustment inputs 210 maycorresponds to the length of the film that is cut by the cutting device(see machine 152). The length adjustment inputs 210 may be similar tothe fill adjustment inputs 206 and a user may provide input to thecontroller 104 in a similar manner, but correspond to a differentcomponent of the machine 152. As with the fill adjustment inputs, thelength adjustment inputs 210 may have minimum and/or maximum values thata typical user may not be able to exceed. Additionally, in someembodiments, the minimum and maximum values of the fill adjustment andthe length adjustment may be tied together, i.e., as the bag lengthincreases, the maximum fill percentage may increase and vice versa. Assuch, the minimum and maximum values for both the fill adjustment inputs206 and the length adjustment inputs 210 may be dynamically variable.

The editing or control icons 208 allow the user to save the custom baghe or she has created by varying the fill percentage and length, cancelthe custom bag operation, and/or delete the custom bag he or she hascreated or modified. The editing tasks and corresponding icons 208 maybe varied as desired.

The custom bag settings created using the individual element GUI 200 maybe saved and used by the controller 104 to upload to a queue and/orsequence of the machine 152 as will be discussed in more detail below.

An illustrative GUI for creating a sequence for the machine 152 will nowbe discussed. FIG. 5B is a screen shot of a custom sequence GUI 212.With reference to FIG. 5B, the custom sequence GUI 212 may include oneor more item icons 214, 218, editing icons 208, a title 217, and delayicons 216. The item icons 214, 218 correspond to items, such as bagconfigurations, custom bag settings, and optionally non-bag items (e.g.,cleaning settings, film feed settings, and calibration). The item icons214, 218 may include the bag icon 202 (or other icon corresponding tothe selected item) and select information about the item, as shown inFIG. 5B, the length, fill percentage, and number of columns or pocketswithin each item. For example, a bag icon representing a larger bag mayhave a larger configuration than a bag icon representing a smaller bag.A bag icon may show a bag's programmed fill percentage, for example,with a line across the bag (e.g., a line extending across the width ofthe bag and located 70% at the height of the bag to represent a bag witha 70% fill percentage), shading (e.g., shading extending across 70 ofthe bag's height to represent a bag with a 70% fill percentage), etc. Insome instances, such as standard items or for non-bag items, the itemicon 214, 218 may not include the bag icon 202.

The title 217 of the custom sequence GUI 212 allows a user to edit orinput a title or name that corresponds to the custom sequence of itemsthat he or she creates using the GUI 212. For example, the title 217 mayallow a user to input a name and then using the editing buttons 208, theuser can save the particular sequence of items in the controller 104memory 134.

The sequence GUI 212 may also include adding icons 221, 223 that allow auser to add additional items to the sequence, such as custom bags,standard bags, or the like. The adding icons 221, 223 may lead the userto another menu page that allows to select the features of the item tobe added and/or select an item with previously stored characteristics(e.g., standard item or the item created via the item element GUI 200).After one of the adding icons 221, 223 is selected, the item icon 214,218 corresponding to the selected item is added into the sequence order.

A custom sequence may be created using the custom sequence GUI 212 andwhen the user has arranged the items and delays as he or she wishes, thesequence can be stored in the memory 134 of the controller 104. As willbe discussed below, the sequence may be selected and provided to themachine 152 as part of a queue for making cushioning elements, where themachine goes through the sequence and creates the listed items andintroduces delays between each item based on the sequence.

A queue GUI for arranging the manufacturing queue for the machine 152will now be discussed in more detail. FIG. 6 is a screen shotillustrating a queue GUI used to determine the order that cushioningitems and some machine functions are completed. With reference to FIG.6, the queue GUI 220 may include a plurality of queue element icons 222a-222 h. The queue element icons 222 a-222 h correspond to items and/orsequences that may be added to the queue for the machine 152. Forexample, the queue element icons 222 a-222 h may be assigned to aparticular item (either custom or standard) or may be assigned to asequence (custom or standard). As will be explained in more detailbelow, by selecting one of the queue element icons 222 a-222 h, a usermay determine the types of cushioning elements and the order in whichthey are manufactured by the machine 152. Additionally the queue elementicons 222 a-222 h are configured to correspond to the control panel 160buttons and the functions of the queue element icons and the controlpanel buttons 160 may correspond to one another, i.e., the first controlpanel button may be a XXS bag, which may be the same type of bagcharacteristics selected when a user selects the first queue item icon222 a. In some embodiments the graphics of the GUI may be modified basedon the assigned function for a particular icon. For example the queueelement icons may change in color based on whether they have beenassigned to a sequence, an item, or a default setting. Also, the iconsmay be editable by a user, so that a user can change the text displayed,the color, and optionally the shape.

The queue GUI 220 may also include a menu button 226 that allows a userto return to a home screen or previous menu screen. In other words, themenu button 226 exits the queue GUI 220 to allow a user to access otherfeatures of the controller 104.

The queue GUI 220 may also include one or more control buttons, such asa clear queue button 228, enable continuous mode 238, and an enableediting button 240. These buttons control the queue and the machine. Forexample, when the clear queue button 228 is selected, the queue that hasbeen created is deleted and the items of the queue are removed from theline of the machine 152. When the enable continuous mode button 238 isselected, the queue selected by the user may be repeated for apredetermined number of loops. The enable editing button 240 may beselected to allow a user to make modifications to a queue that he or shehas already created or may remove the editing ability to a specificqueue.

The queue GUI 220 also includes an activation button 224. The icondisplayed in the activation button 224 varies based on the state of thequeue and the machine. When in “play” mode the queue is provided to themachine 152 which then manufactures the various items and within “pause”or “stop” mode, the machine 152 is stopped from manufacturing the itemsin the queue.

The queue GUI 220 may include a film feed button 230, a calibration bagbutton 232, an agile bag button 234, and a run tip cleaning cycle button234. Each of these buttons 230, 232, 236 may be added as items to aqueue. The calibration bag button 232 activates a particularlyconfigured bag that is used to calibrate the machine 152. The agile bagbutton 234 may be similar to the item buttons 222 a-222 h and may allowa user to customize a bag for the queue instantaneously. For example,rather than entering into the item GUI 200, the user can define thefeatures of a bag while in the queue GUI 220.

The queue GUI 220 may also include a plurality of production stepbuttons, such as a pause icon 216 and a run tip cleaning cycle button234, which may be added to the queue. The pause icons 216 may bepositioned between each item icon 214, 218. The pause icons 216 may besimilar to the length and fill icons 206, 210 of the item GUI 200, butmay correspond to a pause or time delay. For example, the pause icons216 may include a numeric display and a set of arrows that allow a userto adjust the numeric display. The pause icons 216 correspond to a pausethat is introduced into the machine 152 between each item. The pausesmay be beneficial to allow the previous bag to be properly created, thecomponents to be cooled/heated, cleaned, or the like. In instances wherea pause is not required or desired, the pause may be set to 0.0 (asshown in FIG. 5B) and no pause may be part of the sequence.

When the run tip cleaning cycle button 236 is selected, a cleaningfluid, such as a solvent, may be administered (e.g., to the tips thatadminister the foam precursor) to remove debris from the tips. The tipcleaning cycle is run by the machine 152 in the order it is presented inthe queue and is similar to other items in the queue, but rather thanselecting characteristics of a bag, the tip cleaning cycle activatesother components of the machine 152.

As will be discussed in more detail below, as items are added to thequeue, the item icons are added to the queue pathway 243 on the queueGUI 220. This allows a user to view the order of the items within thequeue and vary them if desired. For example, FIGS. 7A and 7B illustratescreen shots of the queue GUI 220 with items added into the queue. Withreference to FIG. 7B, a first sequence 244 including two items 246, 250and a delay of 1.0 seconds between each of the items is positionedclosest to a first edge of the screen, a delay 256 is then added betweenthe sequence 244 and the next items 256 in the queue. As shown in FIG.7A, each of the items 246, 250, 252 in the queue, including the items246, 250 in the sequence 244, include the item icon with relativeinformation about each of the bags. Additionally, it should be notedthat the items 246, 250 in the sequence are added to the queue pathway243 in a set whereas the item 256 is added individually. When runningthis queue, the machine 152 would create the first item 246 in thesequence 244, pause for 1.0 seconds, create the second item 250 in thesequence, pause for 1.0 seconds and then create the last item 252 withinthe queue.

With reference to FIG. 7B, in this example, the first two items 260, 262within the queue pathway 243 are custom bag items created using the itemGUI 200 and include the user titled name “trial.” The two items areseparated by delays 256 of 1.0 seconds and a sequence including a thirditem 264 is added to the queue pathway 243 after the second item 262.

An illustrative method for using the controller 104 to determine one ormore queues for items for the machine will now be discussed in moredetail. FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method for setting thequeues for the machine 152. With reference to FIG. 8, the method 300 maybegin with operation 302 and the controller 104 determines whether theoperation of the machine will be queue based or instant. For example,the packaging assembly 100 may allow a user to select a button on thecontrol panel 160 of the FIB machine 152 to activate the machine 152 tomanufacture the selected item alternatively or additionally thecontroller 104 may include a button on the home screen or the queue GUI220 which when selected to instruct the machine 152 to make an item,outside of the queue or rather than going through the queue process.This allows a user to choose to use the queue process or if a certainitem is needed out of order or the like the user can select the instantprocess.

With continued reference to FIG. 8, if the queue process is not selectedand the user wishes to use the instant process, the method 300 mayproceed to operation 316. In operation 316, the machine 152 receivesinstructions from the controller 104 corresponding to the selected item.For example, the controller 104 provides the machine 152 with settingsfor certain components (e.g., pumps, rollers, cutting elements, and soon) that correspond to the item selected. Once the controller 104 hasprovided the machine 152 with the item selection data, the method 300may proceed to operation 318 and the machine 152 runs to manufacture theitem. For example, as described above, in the example of the FIB machine152, the film is received into the machine where it is filled withsealed material and sealed in the desired locations to create acushioning element. After the item has been created, the method 300 mayproceed to an end state 320.

If in operation 302, the queue process is selected, the method 300 mayproceed to operation 304. In operation 304, the controller 104determines whether a sequence is to be added to the queue. For example,the user may select one of the item icon buttons 222 a-222 h that may beassigned to a sequence or the user may select a custom sequence he orshe has created. If a sequence is selected, the method 300 proceeds tooperation 308 and the controller 104, in particular, the processingelement 130, adds the items from the sequence into the queue for themachine 152. Additionally, with reference to FIG. 7A, the processingelement 130 may instruct the display 136 to add the sequence icon 244corresponding to the selected sequence to the queue pathway 243 toprovide visual confirmation to the user that the selected sequence (andthe items corresponding to that sequence have been added to the queue).Additionally, the queue pathway 243 provides visual feedback to the userregarding the position of the selected sequence within the queue for themachine 152.

If in operation 304 the sequence is not selected, the method 300proceeds to operation 306. In operation 306, the processing element 130adds the selected item (rather than sequences) to the queue for themachine and causes the corresponding item to be displayed in the queuepathway 243 on the queue GUI 220. As shown in FIG. 7B, the sequences GUI220 will then display the corresponding item button 260 within thepathway in the order that they have been added to the queue. Asdiscussed above, the film feed button 230, the calibration bag button232, the agile bag button 234, and/or the tip cleaning cycle button 236may also be added as items to the queue and may be displayed with acorresponding icon within the queue pathway 243.

With reference again to FIG. 8, after the corresponding items fromeither the sequence or the individual items have been added to thequeue, the method 300 may proceed to operation 310. In operation 310,the processing element 130 receives input regarding a delay. For examplethe user may select the delay icon 256 by providing input to thecontroller 104 (e.g., touching the display 136) to increase or decreasethe delay that will follow the recently added sequence or item. Once theuser input has been received, the delay for the queue is set and isdisplayed in the queue pathway 243.

After the delay is set, the method 300 may proceed to operation 312. Inoperation 312, the controller 104 determines whether the user wishes toadd another item to the queue. The controller 104 determines whether theuser has hit the clear queue 228 or the activate button 224 to eitherdelete the queue or run the queue, respectively. If neither of thoseinputs have been received, the method 300 may return to operation 304and the controller 304 may determine whether a sequence button has beenselected to add another sequence to the queue or whether an item buttonhas been selected to add another item to the queue.

With continued reference to FIG. 3, if another item or sequences is notto be added to the queue, the method may proceed to operation 314. Inparticular, if the controller 104 receives input from the user to runthe queue, such as by selecting the activation button 224, the queuewill be sent to the machine 152 which will begin to create the itemswithin the queue, in order. For example with reference to FIG. 7A, inthis example, the queue includes a first sequence 244 having two items246, 250 separated by a delay 248 and so the first item 246 will becreated first, then the machine will pause for 1.0 second per the delay248 and then proceed to make the next item 250. After the sequence hascompleted, the queue will advance to the delay 256, and then move to thenext item in the queue 252. If the continuous mode button 238 isselected, the queue will repeat on a loop until the number of loops,number of items, or predetermined time has been reached. Alternatively,if the continuous mode is not selected the queue will run through eachof the items in the queue pathway 243 until each has been created. Oncethe queue has completed, the method 300 may proceed to an end state 320and the method may complete.

It should be noted that although the queues and sequences have beendiscussed with respect to the GUIs on the controller 104, in otherembodiments the queues (and corresponding items/sequences) may beprogrammed to correspond to certain input buttons on the control panel106 of the machine 102. This allows a user to automatically select apredetermined queue by selecting an input button on the controller panel106, which means that the controller 104 may be used to program themachine and certain queues but may not be required for daily operationof the machine.

In operation, the controller 104 and/or a control panel 106 for amachine 102 may receive user input corresponding to one or moreparameters for forming a plurality of packaging elements in a particularorder. Based on this user input, the controller 104 and/or control panel106 may create and store a queue. The controller 104 and/or the controlpanel 106 may use the stored queue to cause the machine 102 to createthe plurality of packaging elements in the particular order.

A user may enter input corresponding to parameters for forming packagingelements. For example, if the machine is a FIB machine 102 and the userwants to create one first bag of a first size and having a firstdensity, and two second bags of a second size and having a seconddensity, the user may input parameters corresponding to the bags' sizes,fill percentages, and quantities. For example, the user may input datacorresponding to one first bag having a first size and having a firstfill percentage and data corresponding to a sequence of second bags, forexample, two second bags having a second size and second fillpercentages. The user may store these parameters as icons (e.g., icon222 c for the bag having the first size and icon 222 d for the sequenceof the two bags having the second size). For cases in which the useruses controller 104 to create queues, the user may activate these iconsto add items and/or sequences to a queue. For example, the user couldactivate button 222 c for adding the first bag and button 222 d foradding the sequence of second bags to the queue. The user may also add acustomized bag to the queue. For example, user may activate the agilebag button 234 to create a customized bag for the queue. The queue GUI212 may include buttons allowing a user to select a quantity and/orspacing of secondary seals within the bag, to create a series ofadjoining chambers filled with the foam.

This input may cause the controller 104 and/or control panel 106 tocreate a queue containing instructions for forming each of the packagingelements (e.g., first instructions for forming one first bag having thefirst size and fill percentage, and second instructions for forming thesequence of two second bags having the second size and the second fillpercentage). The queue may indicate the order of forming the first bagand then the two second bags. For example, the queue may includeinformation indicative of the order of forming the first and second bags(e.g., information that indicates: form the first bag, and then form thetwo second bags), and/or the manner in which the first and secondinstructions are stored in the queue may indicate the order of formingthem (e.g., the first instructions may be written prior to the secondinstructions). Any suitable type and number of parameters correspondingto any suitable type and number of packaging elements may be added tothe queue.

The queue may contain a stored set of instructions for creating aplurality of packaging elements having selected parameters, and thequeue may indicate an order for forming the plurality of elements and/ortiming parameters (e.g., pauses) associated with the packaging elementcreation. The queue may be used by the controller 104 and/or by thecontrol panel 106 to cause the machine to create the plurality ofpackaging elements having the selected parameters. In some embodiments,the controller 104 and/or the control panel 106 may receive informationthat runs or activates the queue.

While discussion has been directed on selecting the length and/or fillpercentage of packaging cushions, the queue may include instructions forcontrolling any suitable type of machine. The queue GUI 212 may includebuttons corresponding to various types and configurations of packagingelements for controlling various types of machines (e.g., FIB machines,inflatable air cushion machines, paper dunnage machines, etc.). Forexample, the queue GUI 212 may include buttons corresponding to aircushions, and a user may select the size of bag, the amount of air to beinserted therein, whether the bag includes a seal of a valve, etc. Thequeue GUI 212 may include buttons allowing a user to select a quantityand/or spacing of secondary seals within an inflatable air cushion, tocreate a series of adjoining air chambers.

For example, the queue GUI 212 may include buttons for causing a paperdunnage machine to create paper dunnage. For example, the queue GUI 212may include buttons for controlling parameters of one or more paperdunnage machines, such as a cutting mechanism to control the size ofmaterial to be cut, the speed and/or positions of one or more crumplingrollers and/or drums, etc. As such, a user can use the queue GUI 212 tocause one or more paper dunnage machines to create paper dunnageelements, similarly to the discussion on packaging elements.

When the queue is activated, the controller 104 and/or the control panel106 may cause the instructions contained within the queue to be read soto create the plurality of packaging elements having the selectedparameters. In some embodiments, the queue may be stored in the controlpanel 106. In some embodiments, the queue may be stored in thecontroller 104 and/or in external storage (e.g., cloud 122), and whenthe queue is triggered, the queue is sent to the control panel 106. Thecontrol panel 106 may parse the queue and read the instructionscontained therein, causing the machine components to form the packagingelements according to the instructions.

The queue may be stored in the controller 104, the control panel 106 ofthe machine 102, and/or in an external database (e.g., cloud database122). In some embodiments, the queue is stored in the control panel 106and/or in external storage (e.g., cloud 122), and when the queue isactivated, the queue is sent to the control panel 104. In someembodiments, the queue is stored in the controller 104, which mayactivate the queue. Upon activating the queue, the controller 104 mayparse the queue and read the instructions contained therein. Basedthereon, the controller 104 may communicate with the machine accordingto the timing and order associated with the queue. For example, in thescenario for creating a first FIB bag and then two second FIB bags, whenthe controller 104 activates the queue, the controller 104 may read thequeue to determine the first instructions, the second instructions, andtheir order (e.g., first and then second). Thus, the controller 104 maysend to the machine 102 (to the control panel 106 and/or to the drivemechanisms and/or other components of the machine 102) the firstinstructions, and then the second instructions. In some embodiments, thecontroller 104 may read the pause instructions, and based thereon, maywait a predetermined amount of time before sending the secondinstructions. In some embodiments, the pause instructions may be read bythe control panel 106. For example, the pause instructions may cause thecontrol panel 106 to pause between sending information to the drivemechanisms and/or other components of the machine 102.

These queues may be stored and later retrieved and used by the machine102. For example, if a packaging facility packs on a regular basissimilarly shaped items with a particular set of packaging elements, auser may store a queue associated with the set of packaging elements.The user may enter input that associated the stored queue with one ormore buttons controller 104 and/or control panel 106. Thus, when a userdesires to pack an item using the set of packaging elements, the usercan simply activate the button on the controller 104 and/or controlpanel 106, which may cause trigger the queue. The queue instructions maybe read and used to cause the machine 102 to create the set of packagingelements.

As explained above, the queue may contain instructions for controllingany suitable number and type of packaging machines 102. For example, auser may add to the queue third instructions for forming an air filledcushion by an air pillow machine 112, having a selected size and/orcontaining a selected amount of air. For cases in which the queue is runby the controller 104, in some embodiments, the controller maydetermine, for each set of instructions within the queue, which machine(e.g., 102, 112) is to receive the instructions. In some embodiments,the controller 104 may send all of the instructions to all of themachines. For cases in which the queue is run by a machine (e.g., 102,112), in some embodiments, a machine (e.g., 102) may parse the queue andsend instructions contained in the queue to one or more other machines(e.g., 112).

Stored queues may be updated, for example, via network. For example, apackaging facility may employ several queues that contain instructionsfor a small FIB element that is filled 40% with foam. It may becomeknown that the functionality of the cushion is not noticeably diminishedif it is filled only 35% with foam precursor, and/or the chemicalcomposition of the foam precursor may be altered so that less chemicalsubstance is needed. Thus, a user may update some or all of the queues(e.g., within network) having instructions for a creating a small FIBelement filled 40% so that the instructions instead cause the machine102 to produce a small FIB element that is 35% filled with foamprecursor. For example, in cases when the queues are stored in anexternal database (e.g., cloud database 122) the instructions containedin the queues may be changed and/or modified. As such, the queues may becontrolled an updated, for example, as analytics data develops, or asnew technology is introduced. The queues may allow different levels ofaccess by different users. For example, a first user (e.g., an upperlevel employee) may be allowed to create, program, update and/or modifythe queues, while a second user (e.g., a lower level employee, such asan operator of a packaging device) may not be allowed to modify thequeues, but may only be allowed to run particular queues.

Material Monitoring and Reordering

As briefly mentioned above, in some embodiments the packaging assembly100 may monitor the supplies used to create the cushioning material andmay automatically reorder to the supplies or provide a notificationregarding the remaining amount of supplies. FIG. 9 is a flow chartillustrating a method for monitoring and/or ordering supplies. Withreference to FIG. 9, the method 400 may begin with operation 402. Inoperation 402, the ordering monitor process may be activated. Forexample, the user may select an option on the controller 104 to initiatethe monitor process or alternatively, in some embodiments the controller104 may automatically activate the monitoring processing when it isturned on.

After operation 402, the method 400 may proceed to operation 404 and thecontroller 104 may determine the supply data. For example, the processor130 may receive data from one or more machine sensors, the controllersensors 132 or other sensors (e.g., barcode scanner in communicationwith the controller 104), where the supply data corresponds to the typesof supplies being used by the machine 152. Examples of the supply datamay include, but are not limited to, serial number, brand name, size orquantity, density, material type, thickness and other materialcharacteristics, and so on. In some instances the data may be retrievedfrom the memory 134 which may store the supply data when the suppliesare newly added or refilled into the machine 152. As another example,the controller 104 may use one or more sensors to scan the packaging ofthe supplies (e.g., bar code, serial number, etc.) or the materialitself to determine a portion of or the entire supply data. The supplydata may assist the controller 104 in determining the status of thesupplies (e.g., a higher density foam as the fill material may be usedmore quickly than a lower density foam), but in some embodiments may notbe needed and in those embodiments operation 404 may be omitted. Thesupply date may also include an initial inventory level (e.g., thevolume or level of supplies that are in stock), history or orderinformation for supplies, and so on.

After operation 404, the method 400 may proceed to operation 406. Inoperation 406 the controller 104 determines whether an estimate of thesupply levels will be used. For example, in some embodiments thecontroller 104 may be able to track the actual level of the supplies,such as by using one or more sensors and/or user input and in otherexamples, the controller 104 may provide an estimate of the number ofsupplies based on usage and other data. It should be noted that althoughoperation 406 may be a user selectable option, in some embodiments, thisoption may be previously programmed into the controller 104 and may bebased on the type of supplies used, the type of sensors included withinthe controller 104 and/or machine 152, and other types of factors.

If in operation 406, an estimate is not selected, the method 400 mayproceed to operation 408. In operation 408, the processing element 130of the controller 104 may receive data corresponding to the supplies.The data may include sensor data from the sensors or may include supplydata from the machine or other components. For example, the processingelement 130 may receive sensor data such as, but not limited to, a floatsensor on the fill supply materials that determines the fill levelwithin the container, a weight sensor that determines the weight of thefilm roll on the roll reception assembly 176 and/or fill supplycontainers, a sensor that measures the diameter of the film roll, acamera that captures images of the supplies, a determination of how manyitems (e.g., bags or packaging materials) created during a predeterminedtime period, the number of orders that have been fulfilled, the numberof sequences or queues completed, and so on. Once the supply data hasbeen received, the method 400 may proceed to operation 414, which willbe discussed below. Other supply data may include the number of cycles apump has run, the time of operation of a motor, the temperature of aheating element, or the like.

With continued reference to FIG. 9, if in operation 406 the supplylevels are to be estimated, the method 400 may proceed to operation 410.In operation 410, the processing element 130 analyzes the queue and/oritem history of the machine 152. In particular, the processing element130 analyzes the number and characteristics of the items created by themachine 152 since the last refill (or another point in time selected bythe user). For example, the memory 134 of the controller 104 may storedata corresponding to the bag lengths, percentage fill of teach bag, foreach item made by the machine 152. This data may then be analyzed by theprocessing element 130.

After the historical data of the machine 152 and/or controller 104 isanalyzed, the method 400 may proceed to operation 412. In operation 412,the processing element 130 uses the historical data and the initialsupply data to estimate the supplies remaining. For example, if themachine 152 has created 10 bags each having a length of 20 inches, theprocessing element 130 may determine that 80 feet of film is remainingby determining how much film has been used and compare that to how muchfilm was initially included with the original supply. As anotherexample, the processing element may use the supply data to determineapproximately the amount of fill materials within each container andthen use the historical data to estimate how much fill (e.g., foamcreating chemicals) have been used based on the number of cushions,bags, and the percentage of fill used for each. It should be noted thatthe above examples are meant as illustrative and many other types ofestimates based on the type of supplies used for the machine may beused.

After operation 412, or after operation 408 the method 400 proceeds tooperation 414. In operation 414, the processing element 130 using eitherthe supply sensor data from operation 408 or the estimated supply levelsfrom operation 412, predicts the future supply usage. For example, theprocessor 130 may analyze the historical usage of the machine 152 over apredetermined time period (e.g., last hour or two, past two weeks,previous year) and/or may analyze data received from another computingdevice (e.g., pending orders, sales predictions, etc.) to predict thefuture supply usage of the machine 152.

After operation 414, the method 400 may proceed to operation 416. Inoperation 416, the processing element 130 determines whether the currentsupplies for the system 100 will be sufficient for a predetermined timeperiod. The time period may be based on a typically delivery time fornew supplies, a threshold set that when crossed automatically requiresnew supplies, or another metric that may be used. In examples where theprocessing element 130 may predict the future use of the machine 152,the processing element 130 may use the future estimate in comparison tothe typical shipping time for new supplies to determine if the suppliesare sufficient or insufficient for the time period. Alternatively, ininstances where the controller 104 may not predict the future use,operation 416 may involve an analysis of whether the remaining supplieshave fallen below a predetermined threshold.

With continued reference to FIG. 9, if in operation 416 the supplies aresufficient for the time period or above a threshold level for reorderingsupplies, the method 400 may proceed to operation 420. In operation 420,the controller 104 may wait for a predetermined time period and thenreturn to operation 402. The wait period may be determined by the userand optionally may be dynamically determined based on the suppliesremaining and/or estimated future use. For example, if the processingelement 130 determines in operation 414 that the system has one month ofsupplies remaining the wait time may be set to 3 weeks or alternativelyif the system has 1 week of supplies remaining, the wait time may be oneday or less. In this manner the controller 104 can maintain the monitoron the supply levels, but may selectively use resources (e.g.,processing and sensor resources) based on an educated determination asto when the supplies may run low. After operation 420, the method 400may return to operation 402.

If in operation 416, new supplies are needed, i.e., the current suppliesare below a threshold and/or not predicted to be sufficient for thepredetermined time frame, the method 400 may proceed to operation 418.In operation 418, the controller 104 may activate a new order. In oneexample, the controller 104 may communicate via the network 106 to placean order or submit an order to a supplier. The order details may bepreset by the user, may be automatically determined based on an analysisof new orders or sales information, or may be based on the previouslyordered supplies. In another example, during operation 418 thecontroller 104 may send a notification to a user (e.g., email, textmessage, or the like) that alerts the user that supplies are low andshould be reordered. In this example, the user can respond withinstructions to the controller 104 to order the supplies or the user canreorder the supplies using another computing device or method. Afteroperation 418, the method 400 may proceed to end state 422.

The foregoing description has broad application. For example, whileexamples disclosed herein may focus on packaging machines, it should beappreciated that the concepts disclosed herein may equally apply tosubstantially any other type of machine that is used for manufacturingelements or components. Similarly, although the controller may bediscussed with respect to a tablet computing device, the devices andtechniques disclosed herein are equally applicable to other types ofcomputing devices. Accordingly, the discussion of any embodiment ismeant only to be exemplary and is not intended to suggest that the scopeof the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to these examples.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for maintaining an inventory ofpackaging supplies comprising: receiving by a processing element aninitial level of packaging supplies; receiving by the processing elementpackaging data corresponding to current supply use by one or morepackaging machines over a predetermined time period; determining by thepackaging machine whether a current level of packaging supplies is belowa predetermined threshold; and when the current level of packagingsupplies is below a predetermined threshold, activating by theprocessing element a new order process.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the new order process comprises transmitting by the processingelement a message to a user device.
 3. The method of claim 2, whereinthe new order process comprises transmitting by the processing element anew order submission to a packaging supply company.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising predicting by the processing element afuture supply use for the one or more packaging machines and using thefuture supply use and the current supply to determine whether based onat least the current level of packaging supplies and a future predictedlevel of supplies the new order process should be initiated.
 5. Themethod of claim 4, further comprising analyzing by the processingelement a typical time frame for order fulfillment to determine whetherthe new order process should be initiated.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the packaging data corresponding to current supply use duringthe predetermined time period by one or more packaging machinescomprises at least one of number of packaging materials created, size ofthe packaging materials created, temperature of the one or moremachines, a number of pump cycles for the one or more machines, and/or anumber of motor activations for the one or more machines.
 7. The methodof claim 1, wherein the new order process comprises displaying on adisplay screen a new order alert.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein thecurrent level of packaging supplies is estimated based on operating dataover the predetermined time period.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein,based on the new order process, packaging supplies are shipped.
 10. Amachine for creating packaging materials and reordering supply materialscomprising: a supply material input for receiving raw supplies; one ormore machine components configured to convert the raw supplies intocompleted packaging materials; a material output for outputtingcompleted packaging materials created using the raw supplies; and aprocessing element configured to receive data corresponding to one ormore machine components, wherein the processing element determines usingat least one of an initial raw supply level, a completed packagingmaterials level, one or more current packaging material orders, orhistorical operating parameters of the one or more machine components todetermine if additional raw supplies are required.
 11. The machine ofclaim 10, wherein when additional raw supplies are required theprocessing element transmits a new order alert to one or more userdevices.
 12. The machine of claim 10, wherein when additional rawsupplies are required the processing element outputs a new order alertvia an output device connected to the machine.
 13. The machine of claim12, wherein the output device is a display screen.
 14. The machine ofclaim 12, wherein when additional supplies are required the processingelement transmits a new order request to a raw supply vendor.
 15. Themachine of claim 12, wherein the raw supplies comprise at least one offoam precursors, paper, plastic film, or compressed air.
 16. The machineof claim 12, wherein the historical operating parameters comprise atleast one of number of completed packaging materials created in apredetermined time frame, operating time of the one or more components,a number of queues of items produces in a predetermined time frame. 17.The machine of claim 12, wherein the machine is a foam-in-bag machineand the raw supplies comprise one or more foam precursors.
 18. Themachine of claim 12, wherein the machine is a dunnage machine and theraw supplies comprise a paper product.
 19. The machine of claim 12,wherein the machine is an inflated pillow machine and the raw suppliescomprise plastic film.
 20. The machine of claim 12, further comprising acontroller connected to the machine and in communication with one ormore sensors connected to the one or more components, wherein theprocessing element is incorporated into the controller.
 21. Afoam-in-bag packaging system comprising: a foam-in-bag machine; and aportable computing device in electrical communication with thefoam-in-bag machine, the portable computing comprising: at least oneprocessing element; a touch sensitive display in communication with theat least one processing element; and a network/communication interfacein communication with the at least one processing element; wherein theat least one processing element transmits a new order message via thenetwork/communication interface to a user device to reorder raw suppliesfor use by the foam-in-bag machine based on at least one of number ofbags created by the foam-in-bag machine over a predetermined timeperiod, an initial inventory of raw supplies, one or more current bagorders, and a prediction of future bag orders.
 22. The foam-in-bagpackaging system of claim 21, wherein the user device is a supplierordering system.
 23. The foam-in-bag packaging system of claim 22,wherein the display outputs a new order alert notification when theprocessing element transmits the new order message.